I hated the feeling of entering hyperspace, and even more, of leaving it. Bending space, twisting the fabrics of reality, it sucked. I used to throw up every time, but I had grown used to it over the years. Now it just gave me a headache.

“Fuck” I cussed to no one in particular. I commanded the AI in my head to deal with the pain. It did, but sometimes I forgot how much I hated it.

“Alpha Chi 5” the readout identified.

The planet before me was small, smaller than earth, but denser, with around 1.6 times the gravity. Nothing I wasn’t used to already. I had been on worlds with near 3 times the force, and on asteroids where tripping could send you plummeting into the void of space.

This planet had a thick atmosphere, breathable, but only just. It had slightly elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the air, turning it into a tropical forest all year, with only the poles ever seeing ice. There was more water than Earth had, which was a good sign. Life had clearly taken root here. But that was all, roots. No animals, just plants. At least, none listed on my reports. But the air would require an additional breather to balance out the mixture of gasses and filter out anything foreign or deadly.

A blip on my screen indicated exactly why I had come. In high orbit over the planet was a ship, not one of human make. The Reptari, giant green lizard bastards. Their tech was almost as advanced as ours, but they were more interested in using it for war. Which suited us just fine. Humans weren’t exactly known for being the most peaceful species in the galaxy, but at the same time, we at least knew was diplomacy was.

Instead of going around killing ourselves as we did in ages past, as soon as the Reptari started attacking our outposts we had a new target for our aggression which we could all get behind. And that was just fine with me.

I spent the better part of my life killing those abominations. They showed no mercy, so I did the same. But today I was not here to kill them, only to observe. I was there to watch them, study them, and report back in. To scout them out and what they were doing. So men tougher and meaner than me could kill them later.

We used to send robots to do scout work, but they just didn’t have the knack for it. Too many times they turned up broken, missing, or reprogrammed. For the past 30 years or so all our missions required a team, one human and one android. It worked, and it worked well. I looked behind me at the empty seat in the back of my small spacecraft. It had been 7 years since my android functioned. He was now lost, his body adrift in space. His last mission was incidentally my last as well, at least as a soldier.

He died before the fight even broke out. All that was left of him now was a program inside my head. No voice, no personality, just an AI that would do what I needed when I needed it. I didn’t need an android, I was one, well, half of one. That’s right, I’m a cyborg, a human-machine hybrid. A freak. But I didn’t give two fucks about what other people thought about me, I could get the job done faster and more efficiently than any other scout. So I work alone.

I’m not the only cyborg working the job, but after so long, the constant presence of an AI in your head can drive a man insane. That’s why mine doesn’t talk, doesn’t think, just obeys. Like this, a man can work in silence, can concentrate on his work, and has no distractions.

Another signal alerted on my screen, this time coming from the planet’s surface. It was a metal structure, but not something identifiable from this position. My report included a quick history of the planet as we knew it. A while back a scientist was sent here to do god knows what. His signal went silent, and they haven’t heard from him since. Given that the orbit of the Reptari ship was hovering over that very spot, either they saw it and were curious or it was one of their bases, a small one, but I saw no sign of activity. Either way, I might as well take a closer look.

I wasn’t worried about the Reptari seeing me, they weren’t dumb, but they weren’t that observant either. They didn’t survive thousands of years of evolution by outwitting their opponents but by beating them into submission, and then eating them. My ship was small, big enough for me, one passenger, and my equipment. I traveled light but I was mostly self-sufficient. Sure I needed rations every now and then, but I usually made my own from the places I was assigned to. And my ship was able to go months without refueling.

Not only was it small, which made it hard to see and even harder to target, it was also covered in a special black material, one that could absorb nearly all light. 0.000001% or some bullshit like that; that’s what they told me it reflected. Almost nothing, meaning even a powerful laser would vanish if it hit me, and it could dissipate the heat quickly too. This meant that in the blackness of space, it was virtually invisible to the naked eye and most instruments. On top of that, it had stealth technologies built-in that made it even harder to detect. The Reptari, as advanced as they are, were decades away from being able to see me.

I flew my ship down to the surface, careful not to create an energy or heat signature they’d detect, and landed in the middle of a dense dark green forest, about 20 klicks away from the structure I detected. I’d have to walk there from here if I wanted to go unnoticed in case there were hostiles there.

I donned my breather, a small device that hung at my chin below my mouth. It could filter the air I was breathing, and keep my air intake at a proper mixture. The air was close enough to breathe for a short while on its own, but after a day or so it would start to affect me, even with my cybernetic body. And there was no saying what kind of spores this place produced. I took a risk every time I came to a new location, but my ship and my AI did a good job predicting and evaluating the air. I had either been lucky so far, or they did their jobs.

I prepared my kit, my gun, my gear, and prepared to set out. Even without GPS coordinates on this strange world, the AI in my brain and my ship's computer could communicate and would be able to keep track of exactly where I was, and where I landed. I could practically see the destination ahead of me, thanks to the advanced optical readouts it provided.

Alpha Chi 5, or Akai 5 for short, was much like Earth with soil, water, moisture, and even a blue sky, although it was darker than our home planet. The terrain was rough. There was a lot of plant life, and no large animals to press it down or make paths. There were some insects, something my report failed to mention, but my uniform could keep them at bay. I took mental notes of my surroundings and my findings, recording everything I saw, heard, smelled, or touched, and stored it in the AI database for later review. Even if I died here, my ship would be able to send back this data stream for future expeditions.

I was surrounded by strange plants of every color, but thanks to the high gravity, they were shorter than I expected. The tallest trees, while clearly taller than houses, were stunted, thicker, wider. They tended to grow wider than on Earth, making them look stalkier. It also meant they were thick, strong, dense, and perfectly suited for the higher gravity. It was still much like Earth, the trees were still tall, the plants still green, the water still flowed. To the untrained eye, it might not even look that different, but the physics were all off. Objects fell faster and harder. Even walking was wonky. But my body quickly adapted, and the AI piggybacking in my brain quickly adjusted to the new gravity.

Within minutes I barely even noticed that anything was different. Just how I liked it.

It was hot, muggy, humid. I spent the day carefully exploring, mentally logging the plants and insects, and keeping my eye out for both animal and Reptari. Just because my report said there were no large animals didn’t mean they were right. I learned that lesson the hard way once before.

Due to the thick vegetation, it was slow going, and Akai 5 spun faster than Earth with only 18 hours in a day. Before long, night had already fallen. I wasn’t about to spend the night camping out on the ground. But I couldn’t well travel in the dark either. I was close, but not close enough. I decided to spend the night sleeping in a tree.

I took the opportunity to remove my outermost layer. I was already hot and sweaty, but my suit absorbed my sweat, recycled it, and provided me with drinkable water on top of my rations. As the night set, I ate, drank, and prepared my gear. To my surprise, many of the trees around me glowed with a natural luminescence. It was beautiful, with hues of purple and blue and pink, and it made the tattoos on my dark skin stand out. I hoisted my kit into a nearby tree, my enhanced vision aided by the soft natural glow of the plants, and brought my gun and ammunition with me into another tree.

To my surprise, the luminescent glow ebbed and waned with my movement. The faster I moved and the closer I got, the more they lit up. Gusts of wind would send waves of colorful light through the forest.

Before I climbed up, I set a sentry on the ground. It was a small cylindrical device with a domed top. Once it was on the ground, it activated and began monitoring the surrounding area for threats. If anything approached it would sound off with a loud shriek and send my AI an alert with details of the intrusion. I had gotten so used to having one, I couldn’t sleep without it, even in civilization. In fact, I faced more threats in civilized society than out in the wilderness of some backwoods planet.

The night was short and uneventful. I got enough sleep to last me through another cycle, and was pleased to see my AI was already adjusting my body for the different day-night cycle. I ate, climbed down, retrieved my gear, and headed out.

By the time I saw the first sign of the metal structure, it was already time to break for a ration. It only took a bite to last me most of a day, so a bite and a gulp was all I took, but I was relieved to see, even at this great distance, that the structure bared the markings of human culture.

As I got closer, I was concerned to see the structure was worn, covered in debris and plants, and filthy. While I considered that it could be a form of camouflage, it was a bad one if it was; I saw it from miles away. There were many possibilities for the condition, but the most likely one, according to my AI, was that it had been abandoned for one reason or another. I pressed on, gun at the ready.

It took a few hours to reach, but I made it to the structure. Sure enough, it bared the markings of humans, but it looked even worse up close. None of the surrounding area was cleared of debris or plant life. Looking closer I realized the vegetation, which at one time might have been cleared out, had taken back the land. A vehicle nearby was completely covered in vines and leaves so much that I didn’t even notice it at first. There were other smaller structures nearby, some completely decimated by weather and plant growth. No one had been here in years.

I knew that if I could find this structure from orbit, and see it so easily from miles away, that meant the Reptari spacecraft above me knew of its existence. Chances were they didn’t know what it was and would be cautious at first. If it was a heavily fortified base, they would have to retreat or risk losing their ship. They would probably spend days just trying to figure out what it was before they dared come down. I didn’t know how long they had been hovering overhead, but it meant the longer I stayed the more likely I was to meet them face-to-face.

I kept my guard up and moved quickly but cautiously throughout the facility. One of my objectives was to investigate what happened to the scientist that was assigned here. But it wasn’t worth losing my life over. I knew I could use this point to observe and record the Reptari when they inevitably came looking for trouble. I would have to act fast to investigate and set up monitoring devices.

I started dropping Pins, small robotic drones that would blend in with their surroundings and send a live stream of data back to my ship, reporting anything and everything that happened here. The Reptari would not notice them for days, if ever. We still had Pins active on worlds they claimed from decades ago, still streaming data, still reporting their activities.

I dropped several of them, allowing them to scatter to various strategic points and blend in, hiding in the brush, the structure of the building, and even under the topsoil. 2 others flew above, so small they couldn’t be seen and were just as hard to detect as my ship. They gave a birdseye view of the surrounding area and helped aid the signals from the other Pins back to my ship. To stay hidden, my ship didn’t stream the data back out yet, it merely collected it and parsed the information, preparing it to be sent in case I didn’t make it back.

The largest structure stood before me. The outer door was damaged, but the airlock looked intact. Despite lacking the proper code to get in, my AI managed to bypass the locks, and I entered into the stale cool air. It smelled of rot and something else I was all too familiar with. If you're exposed to enough death, you can smell even a hint of it in the air. It wasn’t strong, in fact, it blended in with the rest of the foul odor to a point where I barely noticed it, but it was there.

As the airlock closed behind me, a readout in my brain told me the air was breathable in here. I turned off my breather and slowly stepped forward, my gun ready. To my surprise, the lights turned on as soon as I entered. The room was large. At least 18 feet tall, and wide enough to fit a passenger spacecraft. It was divided into sections with low walls. To my right was a mechanic bay, large enough to work on a small vehicle, but there was nothing inside but tools and parts, most of which were dispersed about. In front of me was an open-air lab of some sort. I wasn’t adept at what type of work would have been performed there, but it had clearly seen better days. Wires and cables dangled from a hole in the ceiling, broken glass was everywhere, and mold covered most of the experiments. It had tables and desks and equipment all over, but most of them were bare, their contents scattered on the ground.

I continued forward. There was a space in the corner for entertainment, communication, and whatever people did in their off-time. It was pristine. Nothing had been moved or was out of place save for a layer of dust. Next to that was a door that probably led to the bathroom and sleeping quarters, although the door was closed so I couldn’t see for sure. Finally, to my far right lay a kitchen. A stove, an oven, a fridge, hanging plants grown for food, a table…

Someone was sitting at the table.

I trained my gun on the figure. It was a man, with graying hair. His back was to me, but he was lying forward, hunched over. The table had food still on it before him, or at least objects that might have once been food. I approached cautiously, the smell of death grew slightly stronger. I came up to his side and looked down, lowering my gun. The man was dead and had been for some time. At least a dozen years.

“Get Away From Him! GAAHHH!!!” A voice scream from behind me.

I spun around, raising my gun, and aiming at the figure. Whoever it was they were running at me full speed with a large mechanic’s wrench in hand, ready to bring it down in a primitive attack while yelling her loudest.

Yes, her.

I hesitated. Shooting women, while not something I was against doing if I had to, was something I rather avoid doing. Make no mistake, my hesitation was calculated. I wasn’t anywhere near in danger of being hit, even if she threw the blunt weapon. I kept my gun aimed at her head while I tried to evaluate the situation. Thanks to my AI, I was faster at making these kinds of split-second decisions than most, and I knew exactly how long it would take before she was a threat.

She stopped well before she became one. The girl stood before me, her mouth hanging open, as she stared at me in disbelief. She was young, attractive, no more than her mid-twenties. She stood at maybe 5’6”, much shorter than me, and her skin was pale. Her tawny hair was down to her shoulders but was unkempt and wild. She wore worn clothes that had tears and holes in them but wore them in layers to cover herself. Her eyes were wide with shock and shone bright blue.

The wrench fell from her grip as she took a step back and started to cry silently, although no tears fell. Falling to her knees, she leaned over and sobbed.

“Oh thank god! Someone has come!”

“Who are you?” I commanded in my deep voice, keeping my gun on her.

She took a moment to compose herself and sat up. “Are you with the IS4?” She asked.

The IS4 was the International Society for Scientific Study in Space, a group that, while still around, was no longer running missions for scientific discovery in deep space. It was too dangerous with the Reptari around. I shook my head. “Armed Forces.”

“Armed… what?”

“I’ll ask you again, who are you?”

“I’m Dr. Almway’s assistant. Or… I was.”

“Dr. Almway? Is that the dead man behind me?” I asked. She nodded her head. Something didn’t add up. “That’s impossible, he’s been dead for at least a dozen years, you would have been a child-“

“18 years. He died 18 years ago. And I really was his assistant.”

“How is that even possible? You would have been a toddler.”

“I was 3 when he died.” She looked up at me and shook her head, most likely reading the confusion on my face. “They don’t tell you people anything. I’m his robotic assistant.”

Of course. Just like I once had an android, he too would have had one. Although I was used to androids being far more mechanical and plastic than she was. Her skin was practically human, and she didn’t look mass produced. If she really was one, she was a custom built one, and a damn good one at that.

She twisted her torso to show that the loose cables that had been running from the ceiling above were attached into her back. The entire back of her shirt was lifted, and I could see where the cables entered into her. Panels of skin on her back were separated and opened to reveal several large ports where the wires and cables connected to her. She continued. “I was his assistant, his medic, his cook, his mechanic, his companion, his…” she sighed. “His only contact with something resembling human life.”

I lowered my gun slightly, but kept it at the ready, just in case. “How long have you been here?”

“20 years. I was only a year old when we started, which for an android is typically a long time. Usually. I’ve been here alone for 18 years. About 5 years ago I entered a stasis mode. You just woke me up from it.”

“How could you still be active. I thought androids didn’t live more than… what, a dozen years?”

She shook her head. “6 years is the average lifespan. By that time, our components get worn, our batteries run low, and newer technology outdates us. But seriously, how advanced do we have to be before that is no longer a problem? If we get regular maintenance, we can outlive humans.” She sighed. “I certainly did.”

“You look as advanced as anything made today,” I noted, taking a step closer.

She smiled a little, but it faded fast. “I was designed to last as long as they needed me. I was supposed to be future-proof. I’m not your over-the-shelf gynoid,” she noted.

“Gynoid?”

“Female android. Look, I was designed to last for 10 to 15 years. That was the mission, those were the requirements. That’s why I entered stasis.”

“What was the mission?” I wondered.

She took in a deep breath and stood up slowly while talking. “We were to land, get set up, and take readings and samples. We were looking for a new, natural, and longer lasting form of Californium or Curium… I’m rambling. Dr. Almway thought the low oxygen environment seemed suitable for it, but…” She shook her head.

“What happened here?”

She took in a breath, her head hanging low, as she slowly approached me. “We could find no sign of either. Without it, we couldn’t fund the mission. We had to resort to the long-term backup plan. Studying the environment, reporting back the resources, and running experiments on the plants… stuff like that. It… it was an accident. Dr. Almway was furious. He didn’t want to stay here and in his rage…”

“He hurt you?”

She shook her head. “He didn’t mean to. He lost his temper and… he slipped. I tried to catch him, but I fell too. And…”

She turned to her other side and lifted her shirt. There was a gash on her side just above her hip. It looked like she bled there once, a long time ago, but all bleeding at stopped. I didn’t know she was advanced enough for that.

“You got hurt either way,” I noted.

She nodded. “It was my job to keep him from getting hurt. But I panicked. The desk broke my fall. He was fine, but a glass shard from a vase… it damaged my battery and severed the connection to it. I blacked out. When I woke up, he had connected me to the main power. You see, he didn’t know how to repair me. He needed me online to walk him through it. But by the time he figured this out,” she said, pulling on the cables behind her, “it was already late at night. He went to bed. We were going to do the repair in the morning. Only…”

She took another step forward and then leaned toward me. She was still 2 feet away from me when I realized she was dangling from the cables in her back. She couldn’t move any farther forward at all, like a leash. I looked behind me. The dead man, still in his chair, was a good 8 feet away from her.

“He was eating breakfast and… I cracked a stupid joke! A fucking joke! I wanted to cheer him up after the episode the day before… and he… he choked! He choked right in front of me! I couldn’t reach him! I couldn’t save him! I killed him!”

She was crying bitterly, as she leaned forward and tried to reach out for him again. And yet still no tears fell. She was so far away.

“It… it was an accident,” I told her, lowering my gun the rest of the way.

“I killed him with a joke! He choked laughing!” She grabbed at her hair and started to ball her hands into fists, pulling. I reached out to her and grabbed her hands. She was warm, frail, weak. I easily overpowered her and pulled her hands away from her hair.

“You didn’t kill him. It was an accident.”

“You didn’t have to watch him die in front of you. You didn’t have to run through your mind all the ways you could have saved him. I had to watch him as he slowly faded away, staring at me, and then… I couldn’t even bury him!”

I had flashes in my mind of losing my partner all those years ago. Maybe he was an android, but he was also my friend. My last friend. He died in my arms. I saved what little I could of him, but the AI in my brain now was a far cry from the friendship we once had. I knew what it was like to watch someone die in front of you, completely helpless to stop it.

“I know. I lost my closest friend. He died in my arms. I couldn’t save him.” She relaxed and looked up at me. For a moment, she got lost in my eyes, gazing at me. “What’s your name?”

She blinked. “Brianna,” she muttered, and then stepped back, standing up again. She moved her hair out of her face and behind her ear. “Bri.”

“Hi, Bri. I’m Ethan. Ethan Hanover.” I introduced myself.

“Ethan…”

“Bri, How long will it take to repair you?”

She shook her head and looked down. “Um… 2 hours?”

“Do you need anything?”

She nodded. “I would have done it already if I could reach the batteries in the other room. I… I kind of trashed the place when I realized I couldn’t reach them either. I was programmed to avoid suicide, so I… I just… thought. I spent years stuck in this part of this room, watching my friend decompose, watching the building take damage in the storms, unable to do anything. I could turn on some music or the lights, thanks to these connections, but there’s only so much I can do to entertain myself.”

“Why didn’t you call for help? If you’re connected to the computer you could send a distress call.”

“I did. But about a month after the incident a storm damaged the communication tower. I was stuck with no contact to the outside world.”

I turned her to her side and looked at the wound. It appeared she had already tried to repair herself, as the damage had been cleaned up, but without a replacement battery, she’d lose power the moment she disconnected to get to the new batteries.

“Of course, I could be lying to you. I could be faking all this, the evil android waiting for her chance to destroy her human overlords or some bull. I’ve thought about what I could possibly do or say to convince anyone that I’m not lying. But I’m just not smart enough to find a solution.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. Listen, I didn’t come here to save anyone,” I clarified. “I have another goal that takes priority over you.”

“You mean… you didn’t… You aren’t going to leave me here, are you? Please don’t leave me, take me with you! I can help!”

“You are actually on my list, but you are secondary to the Reptari ship hovering overhead.”

“The what?”

“Big lizard men, mean, violent. They would probably take you and turn you into… who knows what? I won’t let that happen. But they are already here, and probably know about this building.”

“Ethan, please! If you can’t repair me, please kill me! I can’t do it myself.”

That was a disturbing thought. But it wasn’t the first time I had to kill a comrade to save them from pain and torture.

“No. I’ll never do that again. I will repair you, can you walk me through it?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. You have to get the case in the other room. It should be against a wall, marked A-114. Just bring it out here.”

I nodded and went into the back rooms. There were more rooms here than just a bedroom and bathroom, but it wasn’t a huge space either. I found a wall full of boxes, each marked as she indicated. I brought the one she identified out and carried it to her.

Bri looked relieved to see it. She was so excited, she forgot she was tethered and almost pulled herself from the cables.

“Easy now, I need you active to fix you.”

She nodded. “Of course. Oh, and can you… um… can you get me some water? I’m really running dry here. I… I can’t even cry anymore, my reserves are depleted.”

I went to the kitchen area and got her a large cup of water from the faucet. It came out slow and was discolored at first. But after letting it run for a bit it looked and smelled fine. She turned away while I did so. I got the feeling she didn’t want to look at her dead friend anymore. As a favor, I covered him with a blanket from the entertainment area nearby before returning with the water.

She noticed and closed her eyes in relief. “He deserves better than to just stay there like that. I… I failed him. I'm a little surprised you're helping me, an android that failed her prime objective.”

Bri took the water and gulped it down. She let out a satisfied sigh and put the cup down. “Thank you, Ethan. This way,” she explained and she guided me to the lab.

I noticed the place had been trashed, probably by her in her frustrations. Behind one of the walls was a pile of clothes, coats, and blankets. An outline of her body was clearly indented in them. I could even see indents where her breasts had been pressed against the fabric. She must have set up a soft spot for her to lay face down while she stayed dormant for all those years.

When I looked back up, Bri and put her top off entirely. She was naked from the waist up. It wasn't like she was the first girl I had seen naked. I used to have my way with women all the time, but… it had been a long time. I forget how long it had been since I felt a woman's touch. A deep aching in me awakened, but I shoved it back down.

She was attractively built. Her body was skinny and athletic, and her breasts were ideally shaped and of a decent size. Nothing obnoxiously large, not too small to have fun with them. I doubted she knew how crazy her body was driving me inside.

She sat herself up on a workbench and sat up straight. With the cables running from her back she couldn't lay down except face down, but I guess the procedure was probably easier with her upright.

“Grab that box and those over there,” she commanded, indicating parts and tools. I did as she requested and brought them to the table next to her. She lifted her left arm and reached over to the wound with her right, tugging at it. It didn't seem to hurt her, but she was an android.

“Alright Ethan, let's get started.”

During the procedure, she held her skin open and looked down at me. I was good with my hands, and my AI added a great amount of assistance to the repair. I hit a stride pretty quickly and was soon working faster than she could keep up.

“Have you done this before?” She wondered.

“Nope.” I didn't look up as I shared but tapped my head. “Cyborg. Got an AI that seems to recognize your model.”

“No kidding,” she smiled. “Ouch!” So she did feel pain.

“Sorry,” I apologized as I removed damaged parts.

She shook her head. “No, it's ok. I… I haven't felt anything in so long… I almost forgot what pain was like.” She inhaled sharply through her teeth. “I forgot how much I don't like it.”

I almost laughed but kept working. I thought it might help to keep her mind off of it, so I figured it would be good to get her talking. “What did you do this entire time here alone?”

“You know… Things… I read what I had access to… I listened to music but I can only take so much of the same thing. I tried to fix myself. I threw stuff… I…” She coughed and mumbled something under her breath that sounded like she said she played with herself.

“Did you just say you played with yourself?” I paused looking up at her.

She blushed. “No… I… I said I…” she gritted her teeth and spoke through them. “I pleasured myself. Only a little! I couldn't keep doing that with my limited reserves.”

I cleared my throat, she was still blushing. Without saying anything I got back to fixing her.

“Sorry! Sorry.” She apologized. “Stop being so stupid, Bri! Why would you say that?” She mumbled to herself.

I glared at her.

She bit her lips and grimaced. I continued to work for the next few minutes in silence.

“I'm sorry,” she interrupted again. “I just get so lonely I end up talking to myself. About anything! Just to hear a voice! It's been so long since someone else talked to me.”

I cleared my throat. She stopped again. After I finished the hardest part and the batteries were mostly installed, I sat back.

“Yes,” I answered.

“What?”

“In answer to your question.”

She thought back. “You're straight?” She smiled.

“I don't see why that matters, though.”

She shook her head, not answering. She looked down at the repair. “Hey, you're almost done! Wow, that was fast.”

I tapped my head again. “Fast AI,” I explained.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “I'm pretty smart too, you know.”

Was she upset I said that? I faltered. “I didn't mean anything by that.”

She smiled and chuckled a little. “It's fine. Ethan, what do you do?”

I rubbed my head. “I was a soldier. But I left that. I do reconnaissance now, preparing the path for more of our soldiers.”

“Like a scout?” she asked.

“Exactly.”

“So you work alone a lot?”

I nodded as I took a closer look at the remainder of the damage to her.

She sighed. “Do you like being alone?”

I shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“I can't stand it! I've been alone for so long. I never want to be alone again.”

“Let me finish up here, then we can get you out of here.”

“After you finish your main objective, right?”

I nodded again. “You can join me, but you have to stay quiet. Otherwise, you'll have to stay here and I'll come back for you.”

“Ah! I'll be quiet!”

I eyed her. “Can you?”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Yes.”

I placed my hand on her thigh as I reached in her side to reach a wire out of place. I didn't think twice about it but her reaction caught me off guard.

“Hahn!” She moaned and then bit her lower lip. “Oh fuck!”

“What?” I asked looking up at her.

Her face was twisted as she breathed out through her nose. “My… My companion protocol is kicking in!”

“You're what?”

She squirmed in place. “It's been decades since anyone touched me… I… Hah… I'm sorry! One of my main functions is to be a companion to my owner. That means…”

I took my hand off her thigh abruptly. She exhaled and calmed herself. “Sorry!”

Shaking her get she smiled. “It's ok. I'm a social being. I'm designed to accept social interactions and to provide social interaction. Including intimate ones. But… It works both ways. I was built with needs and desires, and… You're like really hot.”

“Um… Thanks?”

“Sorry… I keep apologizing. I'll try to stop.” She took in a deep breath through her nose and exhaled slowly from her mouth. “After all these years my body doesn't know how to behave anymore.”

“I won't touch you anymore,” I assured her.

She looked flustered. I could tell she wanted me to, but also felt apprehensive about it. She was easy to read.

I leaned back in, avoiding touching her skin, and finished the connections she needed. Bri gasped when the connection was made.

“That's it! I can feel it! Oh… Man… It's totally dead.”

I paused and looked at her. “Dead?”

“It's ok! It's ok! I just need to recharge it! These things last forever.”

Without giving her the chance to process anything, I stood up and reached behind her head, feeling her neck. She gasped, staring at me wide-eyed. Her data ports were in the same place as other androids, so I straightened my pinky causing a data connection to protrude from it. I clicked inside her hidden port. It fit.

Bri gasped again and tensed up. Her eyes rolled up and she gritted her teeth. “What-?!”

She exhaled and tried to relax a little. However, I was much stronger than her and easily kept her head in place, preventing her from jerking away. After a few moments, I got an OK from my AI and pulled out. Bri wavered and blinked at me confused.

“All clear. No viruses, no malware, no puppet masters. You were also not lying.”

“How did you-?!” She started to ask, but realized the answer. “Your AI did all that?”

I nodded as I sat back down. “Sorry I had to do that to you. I couldn’t have you running around without confirming your honesty.”

She shook her head, catching her breath. “It’s ok. I just didn’t expect that. It’s not polite to just force a connection like that onto a girl. But… you’re satisfied?”

“Yeah. I believed you, but my AI needed to confirm for himself.”

“I’m glad you found a way to tell I was not lying. But next time please ask first.”

I nodded. “Sorry about that, Bri.”

“To be honest… it was kind of exciting.”

I eyed her as she blushed, but I just shrugged. “Let's close you up.”

Finishing this was easy. The work she already did made the rest easy. As I carefully applied the mending tool, she smiled at the work. There was hardly a mark left behind when I was finished.

Bri lifted her arm and twisted get body to get a better look. “It's perfect! Oh my God, I haven't looked or felt this good in ages!”

I leaned back and stood up. Before I could do anything else, she launched herself from the table and embraced me in a big hug.

“Oh, thank you so much, Ethan!” Her muffled voice hummed as she buried her face in my chest.

I hadn't been held like that in a long long time. It felt… Amazing. I was close to wrapping my arms around her, but I hesitated. This was not the time nor the place.

“Why don't you get charged up, I'll take care of some things here.”

“You aren't going to leave me behind, are you?” She looked worried as she pulled away from the embrace.

I shook my head. “I'll be nearby.”

“Oh… Okay.” Bri looked disappointed, but she soon busied herself with picking up her clothes and whatever she had lying around.

While she was keeping herself busy, I quietly and quickly scooped up the late doctor and carried his remains outside. It was already late enough in the day the shadows were growing long. I found a spot nearby where I dug a small grave and buried him, marking it with a metal pole that had come loose in a storm and attaching the name tag he wore to it.

When I entered again Bri was staring at the empty chair. She seemed apprehensive, unsure. Like she was so used to him being there that the change was unsettling. I cleared the table while she watched but didn't bother to actually wash anything.

While she sat and thought to herself I looked around the building for anything useful, setting up a few Pins as I did. The water was fresh, and there were a few useful things, but I left most things behind. The food was mostly rotten.

Bri seemed so eager to talk, but kept her silence, although I did catch get mumbling to herself. I couldn't make out what she said though. Normally I wouldn't bother with the local population, but I hated seeing a woman in so much distress, even an artificial one.

This shocked me. I normally avoided the android girls, their perfect tits and bubbly personalities were so fake and disingenuous. I would never get caught in a relationship with one. But somehow, in the short amount of time I've known her, I could tell Bri was different. She left an impression on me. Not that I hated or even disliked androids. My best friend was one. It was more of a fetish thing. Some guys liked those overly engineered bimbos. But Bri was different than all the others I ever met.

“Do you know what you want to do once you get out of here?” I asked her.

She looked up at me and seemed lost in thought. “I… I don't know. I've had years to think about it, but I never thought anyone would actually find me.”

“Well, what do you like doing?”

“Like?”

“You're the one that says you had wants and desires,” I retorted.

She nodded. “Yeah. I like… helping people I guess. I enjoy being useful. I want to be helpful to someone.”

“Guess it's in your nature.”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “Probably, but is that so bad?”

I sat near her. “Not at all.”

“It's been torture being here, useless, all alone. What about you? Do you really like being alone that much?”

“I've lost everyone I've ever been close to. It's safer for everyone if they stay away from me.”

“Really? That makes two of us. But isn’t there something you could use? Wouldn't you like a companion who can help you cook?”

“I don't need to cook, I have my rations.”

“What about a mechanic?” She wondered.

“I already have one, plus I can manage my own maintenance,” I explained.

“A medic?”

“I'm a cyborg, I can take anything they can throw at me.”

“There has to be someone you need. A maid?”

I laughed. “For my two-seat cockpit? My ship is my home.”

“Damn it, Ethan! I… I want to come with you! Can't I be useful to you in some way?”

I shrugged. “I don't need anyone. I don't want anyone.”

“Not even a friend?” She asked. I hesitated. Normally I'd laugh at the idea but after her hug I found myself doubting my self-reliance. Suddenly, I was unsure of myself. “A lover?” She added. Again I was silent. “And what happens when you get hurt and can't get away to repair yourself? Or you take more damage than you can heal? What about having someone you can rely on to watch your ship and keep it in shape so you don't have to go it alone?”

I didn't have an answer. I never rejected the idea of taking her along, but I never thought I needed anyone before either.

“Can’t I stay with you?”

“I… I've lost too many people close to me to put you in danger.”

“What else can I do? I'm outdated! No one will care about me! I'll be dissected and studied if I'm lucky. Please, Ethan!”

I was silent for a while before standing up. “I'll think about it.”

Bri looked disappointed, sitting down with a pouty look on her face. She mumbled something to herself and her frown faded. She kept looking at me, playing with her hair, as I busied myself with loading a few items into my gear. I pretended not to notice, but I found myself flattered that she was so interested in me.

About half an hour later she stretched and stood up. “I think I’m charged up enough to last a day. Could you help me… um… disconnect?”

She turned her back toward me as I approached. From her angle, it was probably difficult to reach so far behind her back if her range of motion was like a human’s. I didn’t question her flexibility though and helped her pull the cables and wires from her back. It was fascinating to watch the panels of her skin close in hexagonal patterns everytime I disconnected one. She seemed nervous as I pulled out the last one, but a moment later she turned to me smiling and hopped in place.

“Yes! Thank you so much! I can move again!” Bri excitedly ran over to the far side of the room, and then to the other, touching the wall and picking up things she could never reach. When she got to the kitchen, however, she froze in place and just stared at the chair. I decided to join her there. For the first time, I saw a tear running down her cheek as she touched the back of the chair her friend sat in for 18 years.

Wiping her tear away, she marched to the fridge and opened it.

“I’m pretty sure that food is bad,” I warned her. But she didn’t heed my warning, and pulled some sort of drink out of the fridge and opened it. She gulped the entire thing down in one go, tossed the can behind her toward me, and opened another. I picked it up. It wasn’t food. It was some sort of formula for android maintenance. Something she was probably desperate to have after all this time.

As she finished the second one just as quickly as the first, she grabbed a third and opened it. “This is for my skin, my organs, my hair… everything really. I’ve been really low. My skin and hair are all dry and I’ve been fighting off errors for years. I’ve tried to be careful, I think I avoided damaging myself, but…” she took a few more gulps, “I really needed this.”

As she finished the third, she went to the sink and filled the canister with water, and started downing a few glasses of that too.

“Do you need anything else?” I wondered.

She finished the drink in her hand and put it down with a satisfied sigh. “I think I’m good now. It’ll just take an hour or so to run this through my body.”

She left the drink in the sink and turned toward me, looking up at me. “Thank you, for everything. I…” she looked at the empty chair behind me. “Can I see him?”

I nodded and led her outside. She didn’t need any breather, her body could handle the air mixture just fine. I didn’t even bother turning it on myself, I knew it would take a while for the air to affect me. Silently she stood by the makeshift grave of her comrade and softly cried. She kneeled down and placed her hand on the mound of dirt, muttering something quietly to herself.

As she stood up, she turned toward me and nodded, her eyes red. We walked back out.

“Were you two close?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t know very many people. He was as close as he wanted to be.” She walked closer to me as we slowly made out way back. “We were only ever intimate once. I… I think he was married to his work and didn’t have time for anything else. Although I did look up to him.”

“It’s my turn to say ‘I’m sorry’. I’m sorry for your loss and for what you had to go through.”

She smiled looked up at me and brushed against my arm. I could tell she was making moves on me, but I found myself unable to reject her advances. “We should probably get going then,” she said. “To your next objective.”

I looked up at the sky and tried to connect to my ship, but some minor interference made it difficult. There had been some movement. I paused before entering the building, making Brianna hesitate and look back at me. “What is it?” she asked.

“They’ve landed. By a river. It’s about… a 2-day trek from here,’ I estimated based on how long it took me to travel.

“We should go.”

The sky was already getting dark and the local sun had already set. It was only a matter of minutes before night fully set in. Traveling at night was a risky endeavor. I didn’t have enough data to make me comfortable in these strange woods. If there were animals I would never see them coming. Not to mention the strange plant life. But the real problem was that whatever was interfering with my connection to my ship was getting stronger, and without that data link, it would be difficult finding my way in the forest without getting lost. I could navigate the daytime, but even with my enhanced vision and AI tracking me, the risks were too great.

“It will take them a while to get here. We can leave tomorrow morning, head to the river, observe from a distance.”

“You want to stay the night then?”

“It’s safer than traveling out there without a map or knowledge of the local flora and fauna.”

She looked concerned but smiled. “If you think it’s safe, then we’ll prepare to leave in the morning. We can sleep in the crew's quarters.”

She led me back inside and to the back hallway. Looking around she shook her head. “Nothing much has changed in here.” She quickly pointed out the rooms to me. “This is storage, over here is a meeting room, a rec room, the bedrooms, and… hah… the bathroom. I am way overdue for a shower.”

Bri smiled and pulled her top off in front of me as she walked to the bathroom. I looked away, this girl had no problem with nudity around strangers apparently, but then again to her I was the only person in the world. Technically, that was true. I watched as she entered the bathroom and dropped her clothes behind her on the way in.

“Be out in a sec, then you can take one,” she announced as she closed the door behind her.

I hadn’t been that aroused in years. I heard the water turn on and she started to hum something in the shower. She had a nice singing voice. I took a look around at the other room. I didn’t like this.

There was no way out except the front hallway door. If one of those green bastards got inside, we’d have no way out. But, they were too far away for me to be too worried. And I didn’t have the heart to have Bri sleep on the floor in the room she spent the last 18 years in. She deserved a bed. Then again, did androids even sleep?

I went about looking at everything in the room, it was clearly Dr. Almway’s room. It looked like he just up and left everything. A book was still open on his bed with a bookmark in it. Clothes were laying on the floor and the end of the bed without ever being folded and put away. I tossed everything aside and cleared the bed. I was honestly surprised how well the bed and sheets and pillows stood up after 18 years. I hadn't slept in one in years.

I put my kit and weapons down, grabbed my sentinel, and set it up in the main room before returning to the bedroom. I just couldn't sleep without it. Moments later Bri walked in wearing only a towel covering her. She was still dripping wet. She saw me looking up at her and smiled, before stepping forward and reaching out to grab my arm.

“Your turn.” She pulled me to my feet and out of the room. It had been months since my last shower, so I wasn’t exactly complaining, and before I realized it she had my shirt off and was pushing me into the bathroom. I was nervous to leave my weapon behind, but it was still close, and the Reptari were days away. I hoped.

The water was hot, and the soap smelled nice. I stripped down and stepped inside. I should have known Brianna would be close, but I didn’t expect her to walk into the shower with me. She tried to sneak in but I heard her coming a mile away, and yet I did nothing to stop her. She was completely naked.

“I didn’t want to be out there alone,” she explained. I wasn’t buying it, but I didn’t object. “Can I wash your back?”

I handed her the soap and let her scrub my backside. She was really getting into it. When I figured she had washed enough, I turned around to face her. She was concentrating on my chest and arms, and started to gently rub me there too. Of course, she couldn’t help but notice my manhood. It wasn’t exactly erect, but it was aware of her presence and her lack of clothes.

She shuddered a little as she traced her hands down me holding the soap. “Wow… Ethan,” she mewed. “You’re nothing like Dr. Almway… you’re so…” she lost her train of thought. I stepped back a bit to let the water run down my head and wash the soap from my hair. She just stared at me. I found her rather attractive as well. She had a natural appeal. Her skin was paler than I was used to, but I guess being stuck inside for so long could do that even to an android. I was pleased with her curves and found her modest breasts to be a surprising turn on.

“Big?” I finished for her. She widened her eyes as she noticed my erection begin. But then she looked away and up at me.

“Handsome. Really strong, and rugged. You have so many scars… you'll have to tell me about them someday.” I saw her hand unconsciously run down her body and toward her bare slit. “I…” she closed her eyes and gently hit her forehead with her fist. “Stupid Bri, stupid! Stop it!” Looking up she gave an awkward laugh. “I shouldn’t be in here. I should… let you finish.”

I honestly didn’t mind having her there. But she left before I could stop her. I finished cleaning up and went back to the room wearing the towel she left for me. I surprised myself when I was disappointed to find she wasn’t there. I sat for a moment to dress when Bri appeared in the doorway.

The light silhouetted her, but I could see she was wearing only a pink see-through nighty. She struck a pose and focused on me.

“Ethan… I… I need to ask you something.”

I sat up, the towel only loosely draped over my loins. “Shoot.”

“Can I… stay the night with you?”

I shrugged. “We leave early in the morning.”

“Is that a yes?” She wondered.

I nodded. Bri tensed up in glee and bounded into the room. Without warning, she hopped onto my lap and embraced me in a kiss. A deep sensual erotic kiss. I was surprised but pleased and returned the gesture.

She pulled back and avoided my eyes. “I… I should have asked before doing that. Can I… um… can we…?”

“How long has it been for you?” I asked.

She blushed and slid off my lap and sat next to me. “19 years ago… It was ok, but he didn’t really get into it. I used to… um…” she cleared her throat and looked away. “I would fantasize about… you know… doing it… when I… um… uh…”

“Masturbated?” I asked. She lowered her head in shame but nodded.

“It’s been a long time since I could even do that.” Bri rubbed her thighs together while she pressed her hands into her lap and breathed heavily. “I understand if you don’t want to do it.”

“I didn’t say that,” I told her. She looked up at me, confused, but with a hint of hope in her eyes.

“How long has it been for you?” She wondered.

“Hm. How old are you?”

She smiled and gave me a side eye. “That’s rude to ask a lady. But if you must know I’m 21… pretty much the actual age I was designed to look like.”

“It’s been about that long.”

“Seriously? How old are you?”

I gave her the same look but relented. “52, but I don’t age as fast as others.”

Her mouth hung open. “Are you for real? You don’t look more than 30!”

I nodded smiling. “Thanks. Were you always more sexually active than your owner?”

She nodded. “I couldn’t help it. I was designed for it. The company figured being out here alone for so long would be a lot of pressure on the people they sent, so we were supposed to be ready at any time, and initiate sex when they were too stressed out.”

“And you’ve only done it once?”

She nodded sheepishly. “He rejected my advances, so I never pushed him into it. But… the programming… my body… I needed to relieve my own stress. This is so embarrassing to talk about.”

“Would you rather show me?” I grinned. I had never seen someone’s face go so red before. Her mouth hung open as she thought.

Suddenly, she straightened up and closed her mouth. Standing, she faced me, placing herself directly in front of me, and pulled her pink nightie off in one move, making her breasts bounce around playfully. She hesitated, and then grabbed her breast and squeezed it with mechanical motion. I watched as she took her other hand and slid it between her legs and started to rub herself. It looked awkward and forced, and I realized she was doing this out of desperation.

I held my hand to her arm and lowered it, keeping her wrist in my grip, and then the next. She stood there, defenseless, panting heavily, her hands by her sides as I held them there.

“You’re beautiful,” I told her. “You don’t need to force yourself.”

She started to silently cry a little and trembled in my hands. Brianna leaned into me and put her forehead on mine. “This isn’t how I pictured it going. Ethan, will you please make love to me?”

I smiled in reply and kissed her, pulling her into my lap. Letting go of her hands I held her body close against mine as she slid her hands up and down my body. She sat on one of my legs, her legs straddling mine, as she slowly rubbed her groin against me subconsciously. I felt myself get hard as I embraced and kissed her, moving away from her lips and kissing her down her body.

I started at her ear, worked down her neck, giving her little nibbles between my kisses. I hadn’t done this in so long, and yet it was like riding a bicycle; it was all coming back to me. I moved down to her shoulder, her chest, her breasts, her nipples. Bri moaned and panted, the sweetest sounds I heard my entire life. She held my head against her body as her voice filled the room with the sounds of her passion.

Grabbing her butt, I hoisted her up and placed her on the bed facing me. I kneeled before her and spread her legs. Instantly her hands shot to her crotch, trying to cover herself up. I pulled one away, but she covered it with the other.

“Ethan! You have to say it,” she breathed. “You have to tell me!”

I ran my hands up her body, cupping her breasts, and squeezing them before pulling at her nipples. She let out a sexy yelp of pleasure and shuddered under my hands.

“Oh god! I need you inside me! But you have to say it, please! I beg you! Tell me you want me to love you… to AHN! Hah hah to have sex with you. MMmmm… I want you… ohhh… tell me you want to fuck me!”

She clenched her body resisting me, and yet giving in at the same time. I grinned, but the look of desperation on her face convinced me. “I want you…”

“You want me?”

“I want you… to…”

“Yes?” She squeaked.

“I want you to be my assistant. To join me. And to make love to me. I want to fuck your brains out!”

She let out a deep moan threw her head back against the bed. “Yeess!! Take me Ethan! I’m yours! I’ll follow you, I’ll care for you, I’ll fuck you… just take me now!”

I pulled her hands away again and took in the sight of her gorgeous pussy. It was so human-looking I almost forgot she wasn’t. But it didn’t matter. I spread her lower lips with my fingers and stretched her pussy open, rubbing her juices all over her. She was starting to get wet, which I realized was possible thanks to those drinks she had, and I wondered if she was hoping for this all along. I licked her and rubbed my tongue against her clitoris.

“AHH! HAHH! Mmmm!” She squirmed and groaned and squeezed her breasts as I pleasured her. She was loving it, and her pleasure gave me pleasure. I inserted my fingers inside her, making her arch her back.

I smiled as I rubbed her, feeling for that G-spot so many female androids were given. She was no exception. I slid a second finger inside, to stretch her out and prepared her for the main event. Her legs wrapped around my head and started to tense up.

“Are you coming?” I asked.

She shook her head. “It’s… it hurts…” I hesitated, I didn’t want to hurt her. “No, don’t stop! Keep moving! I’m getting used to it. I… I’m still not as wet as I normally get.”

I slid my fingers out and got them more wet with my spit, and slid back inside. She handled it better this time, and for a while, I concentrated on rubbing her g-spot while teasing her clit with my thumb and tongue. I could feel her pussy start to tighten and convulse around my fingers as I pressed harder and faster inside her. More of her juices were flowing from her, and she started to press my head against her with her hands.

I felt her orgasm coming before she did. Bri’s legs started to tremble as she held her breath. She tensed up and jerked forward violently. I kept up the effort and felt her pussy walls grip my fingers tight. She came, creaming on my fingers and letting out a high pitched scream of ecstasy.

I let up and allowed her to recover, a little. I wasn’t going to let it end there. “How was that? Did you cum?”

She nodded enthusiastically as she caught her breath. “YES! YES! I’ve never felt anything so intense! Oh my god, you almost make this place worth it.”

I stood up, my dick fully erect now, and Bri beheld it in its full glory for the first time. She looked shocked. “Will it fit?”

I laughed. “Only one way to find out.”

She reached out for it and started to stroke and lick me. She wasn’t amazing at it or anything, but she was decent. I figured it was all in her programming as a companion. She slid down to the floor on her knees and simultaneously stroked me with one hand while licking and sucking me with her mouth. I found it surprisingly exciting and pleasurable. She stopped every so often to catch her breath and giggle. Her smile was radiant, even when covered in my precum.

Bri looked up at me as she moved up my body, taking my dick between her breasts and pressing them together. She was so soft, even more so than I remembered from earlier. I was impressed, and she seemed to really be into it. I put my hands under her arms and lifted her. I was about to turn her around to face the bed and lean her over but she stopped me.

“Please, I want to face you for the first time.” She pleaded.

I nodded and lifted her leg right then and there while standing. She grabbed on to keep her balance as I guided my dick to her pussy. It was not as easy to slide in as I was hoping, but I found the right angle and penetrated her.

“Ohhh fuck! You’re inside me!” She groaned as she held on tight. I slid in and out a few times, making sure I was in all the way, and then lifted her other leg and held her by her soft round ass. She yelped and held on. “Holy shit you’re so strong! Ha! That’s… that’s amazing! OOohhhh AH!!! HAH! YES! Yes Yes Yes!” she repeated as I thrust inside her. I was glad to feel that she wasn’t really heavy, and was lighter than I figured she’d be. With my enhanced strength, she was easy to lift and manipulate.

I fucked her in the middle of the room for a little before pulling out and setting her down. I turned her svelte body around and entered her from behind. She didn’t object this time as I held her arms behind her back and had my way with her. I grunted with effort. I should have climaxed already if it wasn’t for my AI controlling my performance.

I lifted her up without pulling out and brought her to the wall where I continued to pound inside her. She came again, grabbing onto the shelves nearby, pulling everything off, and clenching her ass. I pulled out, helping her keep her balance.

Bri turned to face me and through her expression of lustful ecstasy managed to look disappointed. “How have you made me cum twice before I made you cum once?”

“It’s a very good AI.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Does your AI have a name?”

“Uhhh…” He used to, but I hadn’t called him by it, even in my head, for years. I had to think of it. “Bob… I think.” The AI confirmed.

“Well, tell Bob he’s doing a great job, but I want to make you come at some point tonight.”

I grinned. “Hear that Bob? She likes you.” My AI gave me a thumbs up in my head that make me chuckle. Then he sent me advice on his strategy to make her cum again. I grinned. This was the strangest 3-way ever.

I held Bri close to me and kissed her again, moving her to the bed and dropping her on to it. She panted heavily as she lay there defenseless to me, and spread her legs. God, she was amazing and so beautiful.

I lifted her butt into the air and entered her again. Climbing into the bed over her I fucked her from above, pounding down into her like a piston. Bri grabbed onto the bed sheets and clenched her eyes shut as my hips slapped against hers again and again. It didn’t take much to make her cum. She even squirted a little excess fluid as she did.

“How… hah… how… hah… did you do that?” She breathed. “Nevermind. Just keep doing it!”

We fucked like animals for another hour. At this point, she was easy to excite and take to her climax, and I loved trying every position Bob and I could think of. I was infatuated with her. When at last I was ready, she rode on top of me, pounding me with all her might. I absolutely loved the way her body moved as she did her best to please me. I matched her movements, pounding against her hips and thrusting hard in her pussy before I finally came deep inside of her. She climaxed one last time just from my seed entering her.

“Oh my-! It's so hot! Hah! Aaaaahhhh! So much! I'm- I'm- I'm cumming!” She gripped me tightly, quivering against me, and eager to milk every last drop she could from me. So collapsed on top of me, shaking and panting.

“Ethan… God, you are such a hunk! I didn’t know I could feel that amazing! You have a gift you’ve been denying the universe!”

“Well… hah… I don’t want to give it… hah… to the universe” I said between breaths. “I like giving it just to you.”

She kissed me and ran her hands all over me. “Oh Ethan! Babe! I… I think I love you!”

“It’s a bit early in our relationship for that, isn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe you just haven’t realized it yet.”

She grabbed the blanket and covered us with it as she snuggled against me, naked, warm, and soft. “I will never be able to thank you enough, Ethan.”

“You’ve woken something up in me, Bri. Something I thought long dead. You don’t need to thank me, you earned it.”

She grinned and snuggled closer to me, our naked bodies so close it was like we were trying to merge into one person. And after exerting all that energy, we both fell fast asleep.

I awoke first to the alert Bob was sending me in my head. The proximity sensor was going off. It was still dark out. The Pins were detecting movement and my sentry sent out an alert. But… Something was wrong! I shot up in bed as Bob alerted me to the presence. It was already inside!

I looked around the room and grabbed my gun. In my head, 3 more figures appeared well within the proximity of my sensors.

“Ethan? Babe?” Bri asked as she woke up from my movement.

“Shh!” I warned her, my eyes trained on the door. She grabbed the sheet to cover herself and got behind me.

“Are they here already?”

I nodded. I could hear one of them entering the hallway outside. The hissing like a large snake even alerted Bri as she held her breath. The door suddenly opened, and I opened fire.

My shot was perfectly aimed and killed the beast before he even knew we were there. His 7-foot tall form fell forward into the room, blocking open the door. I kicked at his strange alligator-like head to push him back while Bri tried to grab his weapon.

It was too late, another one showed up with a growl. Bri jumped in front of me, her bodyguard programming kicking in. I didn’t need that, she was in the way. I pulled her aside as he shot.

The laser blast hit its mark and she fell, gripping her side. I had a clear shot and open fired. I shot again, and then again until he fell backward in the hall.

I turned to Bri. Her skin was charred on her side but she was still awake. “I’m ok,” she assured me. “He missed the important stuff. Are there more?”

“They always come in packs,” I told her trying to help her up to hide. More appeared on my sensors. Before she could even get to her feet, she pointed at something behind me and yelled.

“ETHAN!”

I turned as another one shot. His aim was wide, but my shot struck him in the hand making him drop his weapon. He charged at me, but I shot him again before he could reach me, and punched him in the muzzle as he got close, sending him flying back, dead.

“Come on, we gotta get out of this-“ I began turning to Bri.

To my horror, she lay there lifeless. A smoking hole was in her neck. Her dead eyes gazed out at nothing as her hand still reached out when she was alerting me to the one that got her. His one wide shot killed her.

I winced, and growled. I felt the tears form but they turned into tears of rage! Without bothering to dress, I picked up one of their laser rifles, and my energy blaster, and ran from the room and the hallway.

The Pins alerted me to several more outside. I could practically see them using Bob. I timed it so I would leave the building just as one of them passed by. He didn't even feel the blade at the end of my gun severing his spine.

Another was ahead. Still naked and smelling of sex, I entered into the brush ahead and stalked the fucker. Slowly and carefully I kept through the brush, following the wind. With such careful and slow movement, I was able to keep the plants around me from glowing, and the wind hid the rest. The Reptari weren't as careful.

With a gust of wind, I rushed forward and killed another that was lighting up the woods around him. He might not have seen me but his friends did. They open fired but missed. I returned fire, my aim impeccable, and killed one of them. I was gone before he hit the ground.

From my new position, I could see 2 more. And the reports from the Pins agreed. I shot one in the back with their own weapon but it bounced off his armor. Their laser rifles were useless against their own armor. I dropped that weapon and shot with mine, striking him and felling him.

His friend had all but vanished. I searched, using the Pins, and even the sentry. He was gone. Somehow these fuckers found a way to avoid detection from our tech. I waited, observed, and carefully repositioned myself. The airlock was open. Did he sneak inside?

I carefully entered, keeping my gun at the ready. They were all going to pay for what they did! Bob tried to calm me, tried to use logic, but I mentally silenced him.

I slowly made my way toward the back, looking for any sign he was inside. The sentry knew something was there, but it couldn't say where. I was a walking target, I knew he had his weapon trained on me. I just needed to be faster and smarter than him.

At the same time, the sentry alerted me to his position as I heard him fire his weapon behind me. It struck me straight in the back and I fell forward as pain reached my brain, and I hit the ground hard. My face and body were covered by the makeshift poncho I had on, obscuring his view of me. Victorious the monster emerged from an energy field of darkness and stepped toward his trophy.

I waited until he was close enough and fired through the makeshift poncho, hitting him right between the eyes. I turned around, ripping the tarp off of me to reveal the armor his friend wore underneath. It worked. I took the time to put their armor on and cover it before I entered the building. While the impact still hurt, the shot itself was harmless against their own gear. I'd like to think the last thing he saw was his armor on me before he died, but he was probably already read before he fell.

I discarded their smelly armor as my sentry and the Pins all confirmed the hostiles were extinguished. I returned to the room, my stomach in my throat.

My mission had failed. Both of them. I stood over Brianna’s lifeless naked body and sobbed. I cried for the first time since Bob died in my arms. But this hurt even more, even though I knew her for such a short amount of time. I was supposed to protect her, I promised her. I failed her.

Within the hour I had dressed, covered her where she lay with the blanket and left. My new mission was one of revenge. I would observe, and I would report, but I would also kill as many of those green bastards that I could. I left before the sun came up.

4 days passed. I had single-handedly taken out an entire landing party of those Reptari monsters. Their landing craft was destroyed, and their base decimated. The interference I was experiencing was from this base. I underestimated them. They were closer than I knew, and I dropped my guard. Somehow they figured out a way to avoid detection. They would surely send more troops down from their hovering ship, but I made sure to leave them a nice greeting: The bodies of their comrades stuffed with explosives triggered to go off when they were touched.

I stood over the graves by the lab wiping sweat from my brow. Using another discarded metal pole I marked the second grave and used another nametag I found to mark it.

“Are you done? We should get going.” Bob’s voice in my head asked.

“Yeah, just finishing up.” I turned back to my ship. After the attack, I flew the ship next to the science lab so it would be easier to make a fast getaway. I started loading my gear up.

“I don’t understand why.”

“Why what?” I asked as I continued to load up with my kit.

“Why come back here?”

I shrugged. “I couldn’t just leave like that. I…” I grunted with effort as I placed Bri’s naked body into the passenger seat of my ship. “I couldn’t leave you here alone.” I made sure the connection to my ship was secured to her head and covered her with a blanket. “Honestly, I returned for a final goodbye. Figured you deserved the be buried with your master.”

“Than what’s in the grave?” She asked as Bob interpreted it to me.

“Spare parts, junk. I can’t take on passengers, officially. So my report says you died, and that’s how I’m leaving it. This way they can confirm it.”

I thought back to that morning. In my sorrow, I held her close to me on the bed and realized that the shot to her neck missed her head. It likely severed her spine and paralyzed her. In a human, this could be fatal and often was. But for an android… I connected my pinky finger to her neck, and… there was a signal.

“Thank you. But Ethan, you promised you’d fix me up. So where are we going?” Bri’s voice emitted from the ship’s computer and echoed in my brain as Bob repeated it so I could hear from a distance. She was hardwired into the ship’s computer now, allowing her access into all of its sensors, and giving her back her voice through the ship’s speakers. Without the connection, she was paralyzed, blind, deaf, and mute.

“I promised I’d get you fixed up. I’m afraid I can’t do it myself. And… you’re too amazing to leave to an amateur like me. I’m taking you to the best android technician I know.” I loaded some of her belongings she asked me to bring.

“Really? For me?”

“Really. You won’t ever be alone again. We are going to be a team. You saved my life, so I owe you big.”

Thanks guys, I think I'll focus on doing more shorts, the longer stories, as much as I love making them, take too long and can be really hard to do. These short ones have the potential for more, but if I keep them episodic and short like this I think I can handle it.I just might do another episode with these two and see where it takes me later on.